Glass bakeware is an everyday multi-use kitchen product that many consumers may not even give much thought to. According to TODAY Health, it’s found in about 80 percent of homes in the U.S. However, most glass bakeware products in the U.S. are made with soda lime glass material because it is cheaper than higher quality glass bakeware, such as our Jeanette Specialty Glass bakeware products that are made using borosilicate.

We use “Hard Roc” borosilicate glass for many reasons. When compared to other glass bakeware dishes that are composed of soda lime glass, our bakeware products are much safer. For example, there have been reports of soda lime glass bakeware exploding or cracking during use. This is due to the soda lime glass bakeware being incorrectly tempered, a heat strengthening process to enhance the durability of glass. Our bakeware does not need to be tempered and is approved to go into an oven up to 650 degrees Fahrenheit; a competitive soda lime dish, meanwhile, broke in an oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

To ensure safe and reliable use, we tested our glass bakeware products against other glass bakeware manufacturers. We found that our bakeware is stain and scratch resistant, microwave and freezer safe, and thermal shock heat resistant. These properties ensure that our customers can use our glass bakeware products and stay safe.

Because we are at the forefront of innovation when it comes to glassware, we are continuing to expand into the bakeware and cookware market. Right now, we offer a pie plate, a rectangular lasagna pan, and a casserole dish. We are currently working with various companies to provide microwave-safe borosilicate glass lids. Our glassware will continue to provide our customers with high-quality and safe products for a lifetime.

At JSG, we’re always committed to providing the highest quality products to our customers—products that so many have come to know and count on for years. We also get incredibly excited about launching new products, as we are focused on evolving and meeting ever-changing needs and desires.

Therefore, we’re thrilled to officially launch the striking, modern, and beautiful Cubix Vessel sink. Even more, we’re so excited about the overwhelming response we’re getting to the product, a response that included high praise and interest from showrooms to customers around the continent, and the addition of the Cubix Vessel to Lowes Canada.

Customers can expect to see the product, along with an additional four colors through the special order program, in all Lowes Canada stores in the Fall of 2014. For us, the interest in the product is a tremendous success; even with the launch occurring toward the end of the year, we are projecting that Cubix sales will increase our overall product sales by a whopping 50%.

So what makes this latest product so special? Both contemporary and unique, the Cubix features a 3-dimensional texture pattern that adds a fun, bold, highly design-driven element to any bathroom. It is scratch-, stain-, and thermal shock-resistant, making it as durable as it is beautiful. As such a unique and artistically-inspired vessel, the Cubix makes the sink the centerpiece of the room.

We’re so pleased that Lowes Canada has chosen to make this product available to their customers. However, this isn’t the first time one of our products has been chosen by Lowes Canada. In fact, we’ve been working with them for over two years, in which time we’ve developed a great relationship and have proven to be a great fit for their customer base. After receiving such a great response to the current black nickel pebble undermount they’ve been selling, they wanted to add a new, unique product to their vessel offerings, and the Cubix proved to be the perfect choice. Its modern design elements are exactly what Lowes Canada and their consumers are looking for.

We can’t wait to see the product in stores this fall, and we know the success will be overwhelming. If you’d like a sneak peak, and want to learn more about the product, check it out on our website!

During World War II, the foray of women into the manufacturing workplace was a first of many in the industry. This became represented by “Rosie the Riveter,” as women took on the factory jobs vacated by men who were fighting in the war, including in fields such as weaponry, ammunition, and aircraft. Today, a museum is being planned to be built on the site of the original Rosie the Riveter factory, depicting women’s entrance into the manufacturing industry.

In today’s manufacturing world, not only are women active members of the industry, but the industry is also undergoing a huge economic comeback. Known by many in the industry as an American manufacturing renaissance, U.S. manufacturing is beginning to see more jobs coming back from offshore and an increase in production. A recent study from the Boston Consulting Group calls the U.S. a “’rising star’ of global manufacturing thanks to falling domestic natural gas prices, rising worker productivity, and a lack of upward wage pressure,” according to Reuters.

Jeannette Specialty Glass is certainly familiar with the American manufacturing comeback and the leadership role women have taken in the industry. Our CEO, Kathleen Sarniak, was the 2013 recipient of the Athena Award, which recognizes women who have taken a leadership role in their business and community. Kathleen has not only helped grow our business, but has also worked diligently with the local community in bringing in more jobs and helping veterans get back into the workplace. As a business, we are proud to be Made in the USA, and we continue to contribute to our local economy as much as we can. Manufacturing has certainly changed and evolved over the years, but we are experiencing the positive results from the Rosie the Riveter era all the way to the current manufacturing renaissance.

As the world celebrates Earth Day this April 22nd, it is important to remember that borosilicate glass is a green alternative.

Everyone at Jeannette Specialty Glass is excited about this year’s celebration of Earth Day. We are always proud to point out to our customers that our focus, borosilicate glass, is actually quite green and recyclable. Across the board, we have made major efforts to make sure our products will not cause any harm to the environment. There are many innovative ways that we accomplish this goal at Jeannette Specialty Glass.

Firstly, let’s start with our products and manufacturing process. All products that don’t meet our customers’ specifications are crushed, recycled, and made into new goods, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Not only are all of our products landfill s

afe, lead free, and contain no chemicals or additives, but we also do not add colorations to glass that can harm the environment. Our “Hard Roc” borosilicate glass is composed of a unique formula that ensures all of our products are environmentally-friendly. Additionally, our manufacturing plant continues to pass all required DEP emissions standards, so that we know we aren’t emitting any harmful emissions into our community.

Our sustainable efforts extend from our products as well. Throughout our facility and administrative offices, we utilize recycling initiatives. We also work closely with our local community to raise awareness about environmental issues. Currently, we are excited to be working on a new venture that will transition all of our non-recyclable products to new industries and applications, extending our sustainability even further.

For over 100 years, even before it was popular or even recognized, Jeannette Specialty Glass has manufactured and sold borosilicate glass products that meet or exceed some of the toughest environmental standards. We encourage you all to celebrate Earth Day this year—and every day—along with us!

It’s always exciting for us as a company when we have the opportunity to attend trade shows in our industry. These shows allow us to reach our audience and customers and showcase the latest products we have been working on. That’s precisely why we were proud to attend this year’s International Home and Housewares Show.

This year, the event was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. The show proved to be perfect timing for us, as we are just launching a brand new line of borosilicate glass bake ware. Specifically introducing three new borosilicate glass oven and bake dishes: a casserole/bake dish that is 9 in. x 13 in., a pie dish that is 9 ½ in. x 1.6 in. high, and a rectangular bake dish that is 9 ¾ in. x 2 ¼ in. in size. All of the dishes are freezer safe, microwave and oven safe, dishwasher safe, scratch and stain resistant, recyclable, lead-free, and made in the USA.

We decided to make this venture this past fall, as we saw a real need in this industry. If you read some consumer reports, you’ll see that there have been some issues with glass bake dishes exploding or cracking on contact because of low thermal expansion. With true borosilicate glass, like our products, this issue doesn’t exist. We saw an opportunity to bring this product to the market while simultaneously expanding our private label division. This year’s International Home and Housewares Show proved to be a great place to meet with oven and bake ware companies and showcase our newest innovations. Now look out for our borosilicate “Hard Roc” glass bake ware!

For the past few months, JSG Oceana had been busy preparing for the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) this past February. Now that the show has come and gone, we are excited to share our experience at the industry’s first show featuring both the kitchen and bath market and the International Builders’ Show.

According to KBIS, over 31,000 industry professionals attended this year’s show. Events were being held both at the main show and at other venues featuring seminars, presentations, and networking events. Not only was the turnout great for KBIS, but it was also a great opportunity for collaboration for the attendees and exhibitors. We were excited to meet new people within the industry and showcase how our products and capabilities are used in this market.

Personally, the show was an exciting opportunity for our company, as we introduced two of our new products to the industry—our Ascetic Vanity and our Cubix Vessel Sink. At our booth, we were able to showcase the two new products and demonstrate how their qualities are highly durable and modern. It was a great chance to meet with industry wholesalers and explain our “hard roc” borosilicate glass products can meet and exceed the needs of their consumers. In addition to our display presentation, we also offered a continuous special on these products—if wholesalers now purchase the Ascetic Vanity for display, they will also get a free Cubix Vessel display sink! All in all, it was a great show to be a part of, and we can’t wait see what 2014 has to offer in this industry!

As we begin looking to 2014, all of us here at Jeannette Specialty Glass are all about “new.” New year, new products, new designs, and new business opportunities. As you’re a valued customer of ours, we wanted to give you a sneak peek into what we have planned for 2014.

Kitchen and Bath

We have been busy working on a new vanity for our kitchen and bath division, which will be available as a free-standing or a wallmount model. We are excited to have debuted the new vanities at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show this February. We are also very excited to be unveiling a brand NEW glass bathroom sink. This new design is unlike any other that we offer, and is sure to be a huge attraction!

Tabletop & Giftware

Recently, we came out with a new bake dish for the Tabletop & Giftware division. Moving forward, we hope to expand into other cookware and kitchen items. These products are perfect with our “hard roc” borosilicate glass capabilities and qualities. Microwave, oven and dishwasher safe, and thermal shock (heat) resistance makes them ideal for kitchen use in the residential or commercial industries.

Private Label

In this division, we have a lot of new designs on the books, including some for a glass block project and some for new pedicure basins. Stay tuned!

Industrial Lighting

During this past year, we saw a huge surge in this division and we hope to keep the momentum going into 2014. We plan on looking further into plasma lighting, as well as some explosion-proof and hydrostatic products for underwater research applications.

This is only a sampling of what’s on our resolution list for the New Year! We are excited to see more re-shoring occur in the industry and we hope to continue to bring new products and high quality to all of our customers. As we pursue more brand awareness and better designs, we hope to keep costs efficient and effective for our customer base. We can’t wait to see you in 2014!

When two industry shows attract similar industry leaders and showcase the leading technologies in their fields, why not combine the two for a larger attendance number and stronger collaboration? That is exactly what is happening in February, as the Kitchen and Bath Show is merging with the International Builders’ Show. All of us here at Jeannette Specialty Glass are excited and looking forward to this show!

Since the showrooms will bring dealers, contractors, and remodelers all into one location, it is a perfect opportunity for us to showcase some of our newest industry products. We will be exhibiting at our largest booth ever (#N327!) and we have been diligently working on bringing new, innovative display designs to the booth. As “new” seems to be the trend for this show, we will be introducing some new products!

New square vessel sink: This 16 inch x 16 inch sink fits on top of the countertop and is available in a new, square design and fresh new pattern. As we have been receiving many requests for this type of design, we decided it was time to listen to our customers and give them what they want! The sink will debut a new pattern and be available in six colorations.

Ascetic vanities: In addition to our new sink, we will also be bringing along two new vanity designs. Available as either a free-standing or wall-mount model, the vanities have a modern, clean design. They meet the California Regulation Compliant guidelines and include a factory-sealed granite top and backsplash.

We are all looking forward to experiencing the new show and to meet with everyone in one place. We believe it will be an exciting opportunity for everyone in the industry and we can’t wait to show off our newest “Hard Roc” borosilicate glass sink and vanities. Hope to see you there!

‘Tis the season…for new holiday-inspired glass items! What better time for our team to introduce new holiday-inspired glass products than the beginning of the holiday season? This year, we are excited to introduce holiday plates and ornaments.

With our glass holiday plates, you can bring some holiday cheer and class to your table settings. We are offering six new holiday plate designs, including candle, Santa, tree, Season’s Greetings, and polar bear designs. As “Hard-Roc” borosilicate glass is our forte, we have used this material for these plates, ensuring they are also scratch, stain, thermal shock (heat), and chemical resistant. Available in crystal clear colorations and 13.5 inch sizes, these plates are perfect for your holiday appetizers, or even as a gift for your close friends!

Looking for even more holiday fun? Then we encourage you to consider our new holiday ornaments! We are providing them in sets of four, available in either a whimsical snowflake design or a holiday-theme design. Choose from crystal or crystal reflections with these uniquely-made holiday ornaments.

This year, we decided to get into the holiday spirit and do something that was out of the box and geared towards the holiday consumer. Get into the holiday season with us and with our glass holiday plates and ornaments!

As Americans are becoming more confident in the economy, the latest numbers show that home construction and remodeling are on the rise—good news, indeed, for the residential construction sector. Families are finally seeing more money in their pockets, and baby boomers who are retiring now have the time and money to invest in their homes.

We’ve been seeing this increase all through September and October. In fact, according to a recent article in the New York Times, “building permits for construction [in August] hit a five-year high, pointing to resilience in the housing market recovery.”

The article also goes on to say that “confidence among builders of single-family houses remained near an eight-year high in September, with builders upbeat about prospective buyer traffic.” In fact, for each single-family home that’s built, “three jobs that last for a year are created.” It’s a win/win.

Personally, we are seeing this significantly. Our business was about 24% ahead in September, and through the end of August, we saw a 13% increase in the kitchen and bath business. We’ve experienced an increase in sales—proof, for us, that rebuilding and remodeling are increasing.

One of the specific trends we are seeing is that many people are doing small remodels—one room at a time—which is more cost effective, yet still a great way to add aesthetic and economic value to their homes. We are now also seeing another trend: Americans are getting ready for the holiday season, and are preparing for remodels before the holidays arrive. Even more specifically, kitchen and bath trends include undermount sinks and the use of tile.

Coinciding with the increasing construction is a trend in kitchen, bath, and appliance showrooms; many are offering SPIFF programs, sales incentives for showroom associates that simultaneously drive sales while offering better deals for homeowners.

With the economy rising, incentive programs abounding, and the holidays fast approaching, now is a great time to tackle those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming of.

P.S.: We can’t wait to see what this will mean for the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in February!